At least 22 dead after ID checks in Balochistan

Gunmen have killed at least 22 people in southwest Pakistan after forcing them out of their vehicles and checking their identification, officials said.

The attack took place overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, where security forces are battling sectarian, ethnic and separatist violence.

The gunmen checked the ID cards and reportedly targeted the people from Punjab province, who were then shot before setting the vehicles on fire, officials said.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Musa Khel district.

“The number of militants was between 30 and 40. They stopped 22 vehicles,” Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, told AFP news agency.

“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were checked and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot dead.”

According to the Reuters news agency, the BLA said it was targeting military personnel who were wearing civilian clothes.

In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sadness and condemnation over the terrorist attack.”

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan. Although it has more resources than other provinces, it is the least developed.

The BLA and other Baloch separatists have intensified their attacks on Punjabis and Sinhdis from other parts of Pakistan working in the region. They have also targeted foreign energy companies, which they accuse of exploiting the region without sharing in the profits.

In a similar incident in April this year, nine passengers were thrown out of a bus in Balochistan and shot after their identity cards were checked.

Over the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of attacks on numerous government facilities, including police stations and security forces camps across the province.

Several Western countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.